New Pool - Infinity Edge Thoughts?

[troublefreefun]

What are some of the concerns or issues associated with an infinity edge?

In my particular situation the lot itself is flat but we have to retain our own rain water so landscape design we will have a grassed sunken down section of the backyard. This elevation change is roughly 30" and will be directly to one side and the rear end of the proposed pool location. I can do an infinity edge if I desire because of this but I really want to assess the concerns or issues associated with such a design.

My personal uneducated concerns are that the pump will have to be running more frequently and there will be additional pumps/equipment that will eventually break. Of course, it will cost more and the tile on the drop will end up looking bad over time from not having constant water on it. Also, in this particular case the lot is flat so even though I can achieve an infinity edge you'll still end up looking straight into some landscape and fence rather than endless sky or something like high-rise infinity edge pools.

Help appreciated! I can totally see doing an infinity if you lived on a mountain side but I'm not so sure how great of an idea it is on a flat piece of land.

 

[AQUA~HOLICS]

My experience is the number one reason why a customer wants an infinity edge pool is for the effect of the view past the pools edge.

The construction process of this type of pool is non forgiving when it comes to the actual infinity edge and most importantly the catch basin must be engineered with many specific parameters.

Run time and number of pumps are all dependent on the size of the vessel.

Not trying to persuade in any direction on the decision, education is your best tool at this stage of the venture.

 

[ajw22]

These articles about Infinity Edge pools may help you…

Vanishing Edges 101

Avoiding the Pitfalls of Vanishing-Edge Pool Construction

A Pocket Guide to Building Vanishing Edge Pools​

Advice for avoiding costly errors in vanishing edge projects.

www.aquamagazine.com

 

[troublefreefun]

My experience is the number one reason why a customer wants an infinity edge pool is for the effect of the view past the pools edge.

The construction process of this type of pool is non forgiving when it comes to the actual infinity edge and most importantly the catch basin must be engineered with many specific parameters.

Run time and number of pumps are all dependent on the size of the vessel.

Not trying to persuade in any direction on the decision, education is your best tool at this stage of the venture.

I agree that an infinity edge pool is best used in a situation where there is a great view past the pools' edge. In my case, I thought it would be neat to have simply because my landscaping behind the pool is my yard's water retention and so I have a unique ability to do it without designing the yard for it. However, the "view" behind my pool is basically a cinder block wall that will eventually be covered with shrubs/trees/bushes.

@ajw222 thank you for the links

Any other comments in regards to infinity edge pools?

 

[proavia]

You're in PHX. The evaporation rate of water going over the infinity edge is going to be higher than in a normal pool.
In Phoenix, with a normal play/sports pool, you will evaporate 1 to 1.5 times your pool volume every year.

Seriously consider adding a water softener plumbed to your auto fill line. This will help minimize your CH increase do to evaporation. Also, a SWG will help maintain your chlorine level much easier than liquid chlorine or tabs.

Chances are you can design the pool to accentuate your landscape and minimize the block wall. Consider water features that don't need to run for hours per day, every day.

 

[birdman579]

I have an infinity edge pool and while very interesting to look at and show off is not worth it in my opinion. There is constant maintenance on the edge tile and most pool companies won’t help you with problems because of the complexity. There are lots of extra pumps so something is always breaking, leaking, etc. My pool has 2 previous owners and they didn’t maintain/update things the best so I’m dealing with fixing problems too. In your case, I would recommend just having one edge of the pool being a 30” wall. You will still have a nice semi raised pool, but without the headaches of an infinity pool.

 

[ajw22]

I have an infinity edge pool and while very interesting to look at and show off is not worth it in my opinion. There is constant maintenance on the edge tile and most pool companies won’t help you with problems because of the complexity. There are lots of extra pumps so something is always breaking, leaking, etc. My pool has 2 previous owners and they didn’t maintain/update things the best so I’m dealing with fixing problems too. In your case, I would recommend just having one edge of the pool being a 30” wall. You will still have a nice semi raised pool, but without the headaches of an infinity pool.

Sounds like a voice of experience.